South East Cornerstone Early Learning and Care
The Importance of Playing Games with Your Preschooler
In this age of handheld, video and computer games, board games and card games have retained
their popularity and relevance. This may be attributed to the extreme effect these games have on
childhood development. What your child most wants and needs is to be with you, with no goal in
mind beyond the joy of spending time together. Listening to and playing with your child makes
your preschooler feel important and nothing bolsters a child’s self-esteem more. Playing games
is an easy and excellent way to spend unhurried, enjoyable time together. This helps your
preschooler develop a sense of belonging. Social scientists have pointed out that a child who
has higher self-esteem and a keen sense of belonging is less likely to fall prey to drugs or
alcohol.
Playing board and card games are social occasions. Your child learns to interact, communicate
and share with others. Playing games helps develop the child’s ability to focus his or her
attention, thus increasing the child’s ability to concentrate. There are board games that require
clues, rules or specific information to be remembered. Such board games enhance memory.
Playing games also develops problem solving skills and logical reasoning skills. Games give
parents the opportunity to teach their children about winning and losing, integrity and honesty,
and luck.
Besides helping to acquaint your child with "life lessons" and practicng valuable social skills,
most good children's games also afford preschoolers the opportunity to sharpen certain
academic skills. Most board games for preschoolers involve either counting or colour matching.
Similarly, most card games for preschoolers involve matching or comparing suits and numbers.
Asking your child to explain the choices they make when playing games will help to expand the
preschooler’s vocabulary.
When introducing board and card games to your preschooler, you should choose the simplest
ones first. Games that involve moving pieces around a board in a race to the finish, spinning a
spinner or throwing dice, and counting up as high as six provide the perfect introduction to board
games.
Some classic games include:
Snakes and Ladders
Sorry
Trouble
Memory
Crazy Eights
South East Cornerstone Early Learning and Care
Old Maid
Uno
Go Fish